Clarksburg, Maryland, U.S.A. – The third night of the Democratic National Convention packed a punch, with speakers like Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama and popstar Billie Eilish.
Clinton – who won the popular vote for president in 2016 by three million ballots but lost in the Electoral College – referenced her extremely close loss, telling voters that even with a lead of three million, Democrats could still lose in November.
Speakers stressed the importance of casting ballots for former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California.
The most anticipated speakers, Obama and Harris, delivered moving remarks. Harris officially accepted the nomination as the party’s vice-presidential candidate, making history as the first woman of color to be on a presidential ticket.
Eilish’s appearance spoke to younger voters who might have felt left out when popular speakers
like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York spoke for extremely short periods of time on previous nights.
Eilish encouraged people to vote for Biden.
Getting people to cast ballots is becoming increasingly important as President Trump continues his fight to disband the United States Postal Service to stall voting by mail.
Obama spent his speech speaking about Biden – who served as Obama’s vice president for two terms – while calling out Trump for his inability to lead the country.
Saying that Trump failed to take the presidency seriously, Obama shared why he thought Biden would do a much better job.
Addressing issues like voter suppression through the desperate attempts to dismantle the postal service and Trump’s ineffective handling of the pandemic, Obama preached Biden’s merits. He recalled times when Biden came through for the people, including putting in place the Affordable Care Act, stopping the Ebola before it became a global pandemic, and rescuing the economy after the great recession.
Sen. Kamala Harris in 2019. (YJI photo)
During her speech, Harris spoke passionately about her upbringing as a black woman and a woman of Indian heritage, encouraging an America that loved and accepted people of all colors and embraced diversity.
Her nomination for vice president is just the first step in creating a government that accurately represents all Americans.
Surprisingly, her speech didn’t attack Trump, focusing only on moving forward and adding a positive spin after Obama’s unabashed criticism of the president.
Some of Trump’s biggest opponents from earlier this year and in the 2016 election made waves as well, speaking out about his shortcomings as president.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out the president for his extreme and unrelenting disrespect towards women. Her moving remarks spoke to women faced with injustice, reminding us that the nation needs a leader who respects women.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – one of Biden’s many adversaries in the presidential primary – spoke about Trump’s actions against peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. She also focused on Biden’s plans to provide affordable childcare, universal pre-school and higher wages for childcare workers.
Speaking of Biden’s plans to create policies designed to support and uplift all Americans, Warren expressed unrelenting support for his candidacy.
The night surged with emotion and did a great job in creating a good image for Biden, who addresses the convention tonight.
In addition to formally accepting the party’s nomination for president, Biden is expected to speak about his agenda if elected.
With emotions running high, the convention is sure to have a phenomenal final day.
Sreehitha Gandluri is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
See more commentary on the convention from YJI:
Michelle Obama, other Democrats got convention off to a great start
